


A Mission Gone Awry

by LostPoe



Series: The Ties that Bind Us [2]
Category: James Bond (Movies), Sherlock (TV), Skyfall (2012) - Fandom
Genre: 00Q - Freeform, Bondlock, Established Relationship, M/M, Q as a Holmes Brother, Tumblr Fic, mystrade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-16
Updated: 2013-02-19
Packaged: 2017-11-21 06:32:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/594561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostPoe/pseuds/LostPoe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things get a little complected on a mission when Q runs into someone he wasn't quite prepared for. Who would think one Detective Inspector could cause so much trouble?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One: First Contact

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all! 
> 
> After getting an overwhelming response for my fic Rude Awakenings, I've decided to make this into a Series! This is a direct sequel to it and there are many more planned after. I plan on doing some of the suggestions I was given so stay tuned and don't hesitate to drop any other ideas or something you may want to see! 
> 
> Either drop it here or on my Tumblr - tepid-tea.tumblr.com :3 my ask is always open
> 
> Oh and again not Beta'd or Brit picked.

Their first meeting wasn’t ideal; however rarely was anything ideal in the world of espionage. So when Q met his eldest brothers lover it was under the misfortune of being work related. And with his brothers being primarily in the dark about what it was he did for the government it made it that much more tedious. It also didn’t help matters that as far as his brothers lovers knew, it was only Sherlock and Mycroft in the Holmes family tree. Normally he liked it like that, but today was one of those days that it worked against him.

Now normally Q didn’t have to leave Q-Branch to do anything as he could hack most things from the comfort of his office. This however needed a little more of a delicate touch. There was a London based terrorist cell that was worming its way to Q’s firewalls through streams of data that connected the most basic levels of access. Now having traced the access back to New Scotland Yard was a little distressing as it seemed either their systems were compromised or there was a mole.

Now normally they would send in a agent to infiltrate but since this was some high level computer work Q was the only choice. He of course had back up at a moments notice but this was really a rather simple task. Hack in from a high leveled computer and trace the signature to the basic source and deal with it. If it was a mole he would call for an extraction team and be done with it.

Which was really the only explanation as to why he was sitting behind the desk of one Detective Inspector Lestrade, hacking into his computer. Not that he could tell him that of course. The brunette never paused in his typing when he heard voices outside the door. It wasn’t locked, which would probably be the first tip off to any detective. However this was a man who dealt with Sherlock on a regular basis, so finding ones office open after leaving it locked probably wasn’t an out of the ordinary for him.

“Now Sherlock how many tim—-” The chiding voice started before being swallowed up quickly. The man seemed to be calm for someone to find a stranger at their desk, on their computer. Perhaps that was a quality Mycroft enjoyed int he Detective Inspector; calm, cool and collected. It hardly could have just been the fact that he was good at handling Sherlock.

“Good Afternoon Detective Inspector Lestrade” Q greeted, not looking up from the strings of code he was filtering through. It wouldn’t be much longer now till he found out who or what was trying to poke holes in his systems.

“Can I ask why you’re at my desk or better yet who you are?” Lestrade demanded, the sound of the office door closing seeming loud and final.

Q took this moment to look up from the screen to take in the older man. Now he could see why his brother was so taken by him. The Detective Inspector was quite handsome for his age, rich brown eyes and soft salt and pepper hair. He oozed loyalty and a firmness that was balanced out with a kind heart and strong morals. Everything that Mycroft generally looked for he supposed, or any Holmes for that matter.

“Classified I’m afraid,” Q chimed, resuming his typing. He could see why the entry point was here as their whole system was horribly simplistic. Whatever security they had here was so primary that Q figured he could have hacked into here in his earlier days. “Though I can assure you that once I’m finished you will be happy to know your office will be down a terrorist… one would think you’d better screen your people here.”

“Excuse me? Who the bloody hell do you think you are? Walking into my office, taking my computer to access god knows what.” Lestrade raged, obviously not liking his accusations. The man walked closer and slapped down the lid to the laptop, nearly clipping Q’s slender fingers. Now he could see why the man was in the position that he was, the levels of intimidation he gave off were near MI6 level. If he wasn’t so used to double oh’s he’d probably be a little nervous. “Then you accuse one of my own to be a terrorist? For all I know YOU are some sort of terrorist!” He seethed. Oh, this was a sore spot, he wondered if something had come up before. Or perhaps it was a lingering reaction from Sherlock’s stunt a few years back.

Looking from the laptop, Q dragged his hazel green gaze from the machine up to the man towering over him. Cocking his head to the side he considered him for a moment,the mans shoulders drawn back and defensive looking. Oh yes this was a sore spot and indeed it was from what had happened with Sherlock and how everyone on the force had failed him.

“I am no threat to you Detective Inspector…. I am merely a member of the British Government conducting an internal investigation that is beyond your level of clearance” Q said stiffly, never rising from his chair. His tone was challenging, showing he wasn’t one to be intimidated. Slender fingers flexed slowly, eager to get back onto the laptop to finish his probe. All he wanted was to go back to his office, drink a nice cup of earl grey and finish tinkering with his newest prototype.

“You? Government? You look hardly old enough to drink let alone work for the Government” Lestrade snorted, obviously not believing him. Most don’t. 

“Looks can be deceiving…. but you of all people should know that” Q retorted smartly, moving to reopen the laptop.

“Don’t you dare touch that…. I’ll have you for hacking a officers laptop, and that’s only the start” The older man warned, an dangerous edge to his voice. Q wouldn’t be surprised if a gun was drawn on him soon the rate things were spiraling out of control. This being in the field thing was losing its appeal.

Everything alright Q? A concerned but amused voice trickled through his comms. He had Eve on stand by back at HQ just in case. He assumed Bond was somewhere lurking around waiting for something to go wrong. The overly protective git was most likely waiting to get word that he was to swoop in and save him. What Bond forgot that Q was no damsel in distress.

“Fine Miss Moneypenny, just having a discussion with the Detective Inspector” Q replied, a hand reaching up to touch his left ear. Normally he spoke without the hand gesture but this was more of Lestrade then anything. He watched a mixture of emotions flash through the older mans brown hues. They were mostly complied of distrust but there was a flicker of something else. It was a fleeting feeling of familiarly, either on how Q spoke or he looked strikingly similar to Sherlock’s.

Please play nice will you? A have you found the source yet? Eve teased before drawing back to the task. Over time they had gotten fairly close, Q would say she was the closest to a best friend he’s probably ever had. She has no idea who he is or who he is related to but she likes him for him. If he ever had feelings towards the female persuasion it would probably have been for her.

“Trying to… Now Detective Inspector I understand that this is difficult for you but you are impeding a Government investigation…. may I suggest you step away for a coffee or circular dessert? I hear your kind are so found of them.” Q looked over the top of his glasses as he spoke to the older man, pure snark flooding his already posh tones. A slight smirk tugged at the edges of his lips upon hearing the snorting laugh somewhere in the background of his comms, recognizing it as Bond.

Finding the man across from him rendered speechless, the young brunette took this as a que to resume his search. Drawing up the top of the laptop, Q went about returning to his search. He expects to be back in his desk, with a hot mug of tea before the hour was up. What he didn’t expect however was what was to follow.

A very undignified squeak was drawn from the slender Quartermaster when he was unkindly grabbed about the arms. Lestrade was strong; not quite the same level as Bond, but the older man seemed to be having a easy time lifting the young computer genius from the chair. Q could hear Eve asking what was happening and if he was alright. Now this would cause a flurry back in HQ.

“Excuse me! Unhand me, I rather think accosting a government official isn’t something you want on your record!” Q exclaimed, struggling against the hold on him. This was turning out to be rather unpleasant as he was taken from the chair and hand cuffed. His hazel green hues were ablaze as he glared up at the Detective Inspector; who was grinning at his own little triumph in the situation. The cool metal against his slender wrists made the hacker bristle as he was dragged wordlessly from the confines of the office.

He could feel a number of eyes on him as Lestrade paraded him out of the office and through the rows of desks. A curly haired women rose from her desk and quickly made her way over. Sargent Sally Donovan; as the nameplate on her desk explained, stopped just in front of them.

“Sir? Whats going on? And who is this?” She asks, turning her gaze from Lestrade to Q before back to her boss.

“I found him in my office hacking into my computer, he claims hes from the government” Lestrade nearly allowed his tones to turn mocking but he held some professionalism in himself. The amused snort from the women didn’t help as she turned her attentions back to the hacker.

“You are making a huge mistake detective inspector… if you just let me finish you’ll understand…” Q began, but was cut off when his ear piece was plucked from his ear. The voice of Eve disappeared quickly as transmissions were cut off. Oh dear. This was not going to end well.

“Oh…. you have no idea what you’ve just done….” Q breathed as he looked between the two. Bond was going to be insufferable as he knew M wouldn’t just allow him to storm into NSY guns blazing to collect Q. If anyone had been listening to the conversation they would know his life wasn’t in any real danger per say, his mission was just going to take a little longer to finish then expected. Q expected M to give him some time to sort it out in the most polite and political way before sending someone to collect him and if someone was to come for him it would most likely be Moneypenny.

“No, boy I think its you that has no idea what you’ve just done…. take him downstairs for booking, search him to see if he has any identification then lock him up..” Lestrade ordered, handing the young brunette over to the Sargent. “I have a contact with the government that I can follow up with to see if anything he’s saying is true….” He grumbled before heading back into his office.

Government contact? Oh, shit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!!
> 
> I was mostly finished writing this last night when I posted the first chapter, so just a heads up that I may not always be so quick lol. I'm not sure how many other chapters there will be to follow, maybe two more? Depends on where the plot is sitting with me after next chapter :3
> 
> Once again unbeta'd and not Brit picked XP

Having been stripped of his phone, Q figured he may as well take this time to relax. He could easily get himself out; he wasn’t that useless, but found no point. It would exasperate the situation further and there was really no need to. So the young quartermaster found himself reclining on a bench in a rather fair sized cell. Being surrounded by steel bars wasn’t an everyday thing for the young man but he imagined he could be in worse situations int he field.

With his legs crossed at the ankle, Q had his eyes closed as he stretched himself across the long bench, back up against the cement wall. He was drumming strings of code into his thigh, as he mentally strolled through the data he had already collected for this mission. Despite looking idle, he was hardly that as he was still trying to figure out how the little cretins were worming their way towards his systems. Who would be targeting them from within Scotland yard? There was little known about this terrorist cell, or little that he had been told. He was sure there were things M was keeping from him; there always were.

The sound of fine leather shoes striding across concrete broke his train of thought as the sound echoed off the walls. Slender fingers paused in their rhythm, only resuming when the young hacker recognized the hush tones coming his way. He could distinctly hear Lestrade and Mycroft discussing the situation. Mycroft wouldn’t know it was his little brother that had been caught by his lover, as Mycroft didn’t have the security clearance for this. Well he could, that is if M relinquished it to him. There was no need to involve him if they could handle it discreetly and M was all about avoiding inquiries.

The sound of a sudden surprised intake of breath was heard over the silence of the room, causing Q to open his eyes. He saw his brother standing close to Lestrade, the detective looking at his partner in question. The distinct quirk of an eyebrow from Lestrade meant he was quickly becoming confused before any words were said. Poor man, he had no idea.

“Mycroft…. a little early for our monthly visit wouldn’t you say?” Q’s soft voice rang out, the young man shifting a little where he sat. Seeing a collection of emotions quickly flicker across his elder brothers eyes, he couldn’t help but smirk. This wasn’t something he witnessed often, though he doubted this was what Mycroft expected when eh agreed to come here.

“It is… though normally I would be delighted to see you but this….” Mycroft gestured to the steel bars, ” This isn’t what I had in mind when I suggested we meet somewhere other then your flat”

“At least I’m properly dressed this time?” Q quipped, leaning forward after crossing his legs into a better position. Resting his elbows on his ankles, he leaned forward a little and inspected the faint bruising on his wrists. Sargent Donavon hadn’t been as forthcoming as Lestrade had and was anything but kind when she had brought him to the cell. Though he didn’t do anything to extinguish the irritation of him not answering any of her questions in booking. She was just doing her job.

“Quite true….” the elder Holmes replied, only sounding partly amused by this. Oh, now he was getting annoyed. Mycroft should be used to having at least one of his younger brothers embarrassing him in front of a lover. It was hardly a new scenario.

“What the bloody hell is going on here? Mycroft do you know this kid?” Lestrade finally spoke up, possibly growing tired of being ignored.

“Gregory I would like you to meet Quentin, the youngest of the Homes family” Mycroft sighed, seeming weary as Q got up from the bench. As he approached the bars, he could feel the confusion seeping from Lestrade and the irritation from Mycroft. Far to many people were learning who he was, how irritating.

Taking off his glasses, he went around retrieving the lock pick tools from them as he only faintly listened to Lestrade and Mycroft argue. A dull but not entirely unjustified argument on Lestrades part. Keeping something like another brother hidden from common knowledge seemed to be a big deal. It was something that made James and Q different, their livelihood was mad eup of secrets and lies. So any secrets between them about one another were met with understanding. The hacker understood there were things that James just wasn’t ready to share with him as there were things on Q’s part.

Q easily picked the lock on the cell door, put away his kit inside his glasses before walking over to where his mobile was. No one had been able to unlock it, though that was how Q had designed it to be. Sending a few texts back to HQ, he tapped away and waited for the two older men to notice. Using the device, he was able to access the cameras down here and also the system that his finger prints had been processed into. He couldn’t have those lying around now could he?

“Where…? How the hell did you get out?” Lestrade practically boomed, looking past Mycroft to the quartermaster.

“One cannot be related to Sherlock Holmes and not learn how to pick a lock Detective Inspector…. Or may I call you Greg since you’re sleeping with my older Brother?” Q looked up from his phone, a slight smirk gracing his features. Seeing the flush creep up the detectives neck was a picture to behold, it was nice to be on the other side of things.

“Cheeky little shit….” Lestrade grumbled, rubbing the side of his neck as he looked to Mycroft. “You have Holmes written all over you, I should have known.”

“Perhaps James isn’t as good of a influence on you as I first suspected Quentin…” Mycroft scolded, not liking the cheek the young brunette was giving. 

“You have no idea…” Q grinned then looked back down at his mobile when it chimed. Ah, Moneypenny was on her way to come collect him; good. “Now then… to business shall we? I have a timetable to keep Mycroft….”

“So he’s really a part of the government?” Lestrade asked once he’d gained some composure. He seemed to be accepting this, third Holmes brother idea quite well. Adaptability seemed to be a strong suit with the man, must be how he was able to work so well with Sherlock.

“Yes, which is why I have cleared off the security feed for this room and whatever information that rude women got from me” Q murmured, tapping away on his mobile. It earned him a look of disbelief and a groan from Mycroft. “Who I am is classified, I can’t have any traces lingering as it would endanger you lot so please understand its fro the best” He supplied as he walked to the nearest computer terminal. It was one one Donavon had used to process his information. It would have to do to finish his work.

“Why are you here Quentin? I was under the impression you never left your office.” Mycroft asked, walking up to stand behind him, Lestrade joining.

“Unlike you, I am willing to do some leg work…” Q teased, looking over his shoulder at his brother. Fingers flew across the keys as code and files flew across the screen and reflected into his glasses. ” Someone has been trying to gain access to my system and has been using Scotland Yards channels…. which should be impossible unless they knew what they were looking for…. Whoever it is was using a private terminal here which was why I had to come here…”

“So when you said you suspected there was a Terrorist here…” Lestrade trailed off, as if not wanting to know the answer.

“I was telling the truth yes, and the fact that they were able to use the systems here to do it are quite troubling” Q sighed, frowning as he tried to pin point whose terminal it was. It was proving to be slightly challenging, though nothing he wasn’t used too.

“How could you not know about this Mycroft? When I called you… you didn’t seem to know what I was going on about” Lestrade brought up, causing Q to grin. This always irritated Mycroft and only slightly amused Sherlock only because of the annoyance it brought to their brother.

“What Quentin does is beyond my level of clearance….. neither Sherlock or I know what it is he does…. though I have my suspicions…” The elder Holmes replied as if he had eaten something sour.

“Sounds very cloak and dagger to me” Lestrade huffed before putting a hand on Q’s shoulder. “Wait a moment…. go back a tick…. yeah there… The new bloke from Cardiff was using that terminal the other week…. He kept switching about saying he didn’t like the set up but he stayed at that terminal the longest”

“Ah, Officer Lancaster…” Q murmured, bringing up all the information he could. His mind was already tumbling over all that he needed to do. Pulling up the mans records, the young man hummed as he scrolled through the mans digital life. It seemed a little lacking which was always a red flag. Clearly more of a cog in the big picture of things but it was a start. Perhaps it would bring him closer to finding out who was hacking his systems. The mans home would he swarmed fairly quick and would be retrieved from where ever he was in no time. His part in the field was done, he could have all the data sent back to HQ for him to direct as now he had a better understanding how the hacking worked but not the why.

“He should be on patrol right now… he favors desk duty but I made him go out to get the hang of things here” Lestrade elaborated without prompt. “I could have him brought back in… though if you question him I want to be a part of it… he’s still one of my own.”

“I’ll inquire but I cannot promise… I’m not involved with that portion of the mission, what information they collect is but how they gain it is not” Q explained, movign to stand with the others. Fiddling with his watch, he turned the knobs and the top popped up to reveal a tiny flash stick. He plugged it in and downloaded what he could from the servers for his own use.

A small sound of surprise and interest was made at his left, though the sound of disapproval soon followed. Lestrade most likely understood what he was doing but no longer questioning it. Mycroft sure picked an understanding one.

“So, you’re the youngest Holmes, huh? I can see the resemblance now… the nest of curls.. though your eyes are less cold… though your tongue is just as sharp” Lestrade grinned, taking a better look at the young man. “Like a mini Sherlock but good with computers and less of an arse..”

“I’ll take that as a complement…” Q snorted, rolling his eyes a little. “I was always considered the nicer one.”

“I believe that… Mycroft I still don’t understand why you haven’t ever brought him around? You’ve met all my family.” Lestrade asked, turning to his lover in question. Somewhere not to deep under the surface this was bringing the young hacker great joy. Seeing his normally immoveable brother squirm under the look from Lestrade was satisfying. This wasn’t the ideal way to introduce your lover to your family, it was worse then how James met Sherlock and Mycroft.

Leaning his hip against the counter, he arched an eyebrow and waited for Mycroft to give his response to that. Mycroft couldn’t exactly use Q’s job as an excuse as it was only partly true. Mainly it was the intense need to protect their considerably younger brother, keep him int he shadows from what they both did for a living. Little did they know Q’s job was much more dangerous their both of their combined. Though try as they might, Q was a little brother first and a hacker second, there was no way to keep him in the dark forever.

Mycroft seemed to be floundering in his own silent sort of way. Having grown up with the man he knew all of his tells and boy were they obvious right now. The way his jaw was clenched and set, his chin lifting ever so slightly to the left. Very displeased and maybe a little embarrassed; which would be a feat as Sherlock was always such an insufferable middle child. The silence was thick as Lestrade looked at Mycroft expectantly, waiting for an answer that would most likely be vague and disappointing.

The sharp click of heels broke the uncomfortable silence, announcing the arrival of the cavalry. Q looked to see Eve move down the hall towards them, a smile etched over her kind features. Always stunning, she was dressed not for the field but for her position as the secretary for M. There was always the distinct difference and Q could always tell. She was here on behalf of M to collect their Quartermaster, not as a field agent ready to take down an organization.

All attentions shifted towards her, freeing Mycroft of his situation. Drat, so much for basking int he sheer uncharacteristic awkwardness of his brother. Removing his memory stick from the computer, he quickly erased all traces of himself even being there and relaxed. Rubbing the bruise on his narrow wrist, he gave his friend a smile as she walked up to him. Before Q could say anything, he was surprised to hear his brother speak up.

“Miss Moneypenny, what brings you to New Scotland Yard?” Mycroft drawled, falling into work mode as it were. Oh when things couldn’t get any worse. Of course Mycroft would know Eve as being so close to the PM one would have met with M on several occasions. Things had been so nicely separated till now.

Q had always prided himself on being able to keep his personal life and work life separate. So now that things were about to collide, he wasn’t sure if he was prepared or not.

“Its nice to see you again Mr Holmes” Eve replied with all of the fake niceties he was sure the women possessed. Ah, so this was the snobbish man she always hated dealing with at the office. Oddly enough he wasn’t overly surprised that Eve didn’t like Mycroft, he had that sort of effect on people. “I’ve come to collect my Quartermaster sir” She added shortly before looking at Q.

It was as if all of the air had been suddenly sucked out of the room and all eyes had turned on the youngest person in the room. Eve really only had him by a couple years, but he wouldn’t dare tell her that. He just let it go that they were very close in age; which they were, just not as much as Eve suspected. The look his brother was giving him made him want to shrivel up and die. It was one of those highly disapproving looks that the eldest Homes usually saved for the middle child. Having that look on you was nearly as bad as having it come from mummy. He had only been on the receiving end of this very look a few times as it was only saved for the worst of times. This was one of those times.

“He’s MI6? No…” Lestrade exclaimed, not believing what he was hearing. The fact that Lestrade knew what a Quartermaster was or at least knew it was MI6 related meant Mycroft talked a little about work. Which could go either way on the scale of good and bad. Good that his brother actually had fond someone he could trust completely and could share things with. Bad was the fact that he knew such things all in which were classified.

“Again Detective Inspector… looks can be deceiving” Q near hissed, very displeased with how this was going. Pointedly ignoring the looks he was receiving, he fell back into his role as Quartermaster and rolls his shoulders back. Fixing his tie and cardigan, he turned to Eve and met her gaze.

“I think we’re about done here… I’ve got what I needed… the others can take care of the rest” Q added, his voice a deadly soft tone. Eve gave him a quiet nod but worry was written all through her eyes. He was never like this with her so this would be enough to draw questions. Also for the matter that he seemed fairly familiar with the other two men but not enough to introduce them.

The walk out of the building was quiet and the two didn’t speak until they were safely int he back of their black non descript MI6 car. Even tapped the glass that kept them separated from the driver before sitting back beside Q.

“I tell you to behave and you end up being arrested… not very becoming of a Quartermaster now is it?” Eve teased, finally breaking the silence. Q was glad that she wasn’t questioning what had transpired in NSY. He was fairly certain she would question him at a time when he didn’t seem to unnerved. The mission had been successful but there had been some collateral damage for him on a personal level.

“At least I didn’t get shot at or I didn’t blow anything up?” Q offered sheepishly, earning a laugh from Eve. The heavy mood between them lifting just as quickly as it had settled.

It was okay for now, he had work to do and like every Holmes knew that family could wait.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long!!! I got stuck and then got distracted with other fic ideas. I plan on doing at least one more Chapter of this before ending this part and I swear it wont take as long! You all can message me and kick me in the arse if I don't!
> 
> I hope it’s okay, I’m not sure if I’m overly satisfied with it…
> 
> Hasn’t been beta’d for Brit picked…. so please bare with me….. (though if you wish to offer your services of doing so please leave me a note in my ask box tepid-tea.tumblr.com)

It wasn’t until several weeks later when his personal mobile started ringing did he find out things weren’t quite over. Even with Mycroft not speaking to him it didn’t mean things were going to be left alone. Not when ones lover tends to take the silence as something bad.

“Hello?” Q yawned, pressing to phone to his ear without sitting up from bed. It was part of a four day off period he was being forced to take. The young Quartermaster wasn’t pleased in the slightest over it but apparently pushing yourself to the point of passing out at work warranted it. He didn’t understand the fuss everyone was making, it made him feel as though he was being baby’d.

“Quentin? Sorry to wake you its Greg Lestrade” The vaguely familiar voice rang from the other side. It took Q an embarrassing length of time to remember who that was and sighed heavily.

“How did you get my personal number?” Q mumbled, rubbing his face and frowning at the faint stubble there. It had always amazed James that he could in fact grow stubble and teased him endlessly for it.

“I lifted it from Mycroft’s mobile…” Greg replied, the sound of him grinning evident in his tone. “I was hoping I could meet up with you this afternoon to have a chat?”

“Have a chat?” Q questioned, sounding like he was slowly coming around. Perhaps he was more exhausted then he first thought. Huffing softly, he grabbed his glasses and held them over his eyes just enough so he could see the time. It was just after nine, so he had gotten a little sleep after all.

“Uh, yeah, I didn’t get much of a chance to really talk to you…” The older man seemed to hesitate. Q knew there was something else underlining why the other wanted to meet him. Sighing heavily again, he pushed himself up into a sitting position, blankets pooling around his hips.

“I suppose so…. in between arresting me and all there wasn’t much time to get to know one another” The young brunette teased, earning his own exasperated sigh from the older man. “Just tell me where and when and I’ll be there” He yawned again, ruffling a hand through his messy hair. So much for lazying around his flat all day catching up on his reading. Seems like he would have to try and do something people in his line of work didn’t often get to do. Pity he knew there was an underlining meaning to it.

A quick shower, shave and light breakfast later and Q found himself waiting for the older man. Leaning against the cement guard rail of the little bridge he was standing on, the young man looked relaxed. Nothing about him seemed out of place, bundled up in a smart charcoal peacoat and dark green scarf. He’d opted for his not work attire and wore his narrow legged jeans and sneakers since he figured the other man would be more comfortable that way. No need to wear his usual MI6 clothes if he was going no where near there. 

He would have worn his parka but as soon as he and James started dating the insufferable man had ‘accidentally’ tore a hole in it. He had bought him the tighter fitting peacoat as a replacement, saying it looked a lot nicer on him any how. Q thought it made him look more like some snobbish student but it was rather comfortable. He grew to like it but would never admit that to James.

Slender fingers flicked the ash from his lit cigarette before lifting back to his lips; taking a casual drag as he looked towards the shops to his left. Smoking was something he did on a few occasions, though he was fairly certain he had never allowed his brothers to see him do it. He knew each of them smoked at one time and all casually but Q had taken to it a little more so. He could go weeks on end without but sometimes all it took was a particularly long day, bad mission or sometimes smells to draw him back in.

Sighing softly, he watched the smoke curl out in front of his face as it mixed with his breath. It was cold and it surprised Q that there wasn’t any snow yet, though the weather man had warned it was well on its way. It was cold enough for it; although it didn’t seem to discourage the traffic of mums with their prams and joggers trying to keep fit.

“I didn’t take you for one to smoke Quentin….” A gruff voice sounded, approaching him casually. The young man looked over at the detective inspector, who was bundled up much the same except with gloves. He looked much the same except more inviting and relaxed then their last encounter.

“According to my brothers I don’t” He smiled, bringing the stick back up to his lips and breathing in. He sighed softly and tugged the carton out of his coat pocket before offering one to Lestrade, earning a reluctant head shake.

“On the patch..” Lestrade offered, though he seemed hesitant as he eyed the offered carton. The temptation was still there, though when wasn’t it with something like that.

“Ah, good on you then” Q drew the carton back and stuffed it back into his pocket. Respecting the other in his choice, he tired to keep his smoke down wind of the other as common courtesy.

Silence stretched between them as neither men quite knew what to say. Q wasn’t sure why he was even here, there were a number of things he could be doing right now back at HQ but he was banned from there. A memo had gone out that if he was seen on the premises he was to be escorted home no questions asked. It was frustrating as hell but orders were orders.

“So Mycroft told me you were quite a difficult man to get a hold of” Lestrade murmured, leaning against the railing next to Q. He wasn’t exactly wrong, most days Q practically lived at work. Sometimes answering texts or calls from either of his brothers were very low on his priority list. It hurt that he had to push them aside like that but it was for the sake of work. They should understand as that’s all they did to him growing up.

“You caught me on a a rare day off…” Q drew in his last drag, enjoying it with a heavy sigh. Stubbing it out, he moved to toss it into a trash bin as not to litter the ground like most do. “So what is it that you wish to speak to me about Detective Inspector” Q asked, turning his gaze onto the other.

“Call me Greg, I’m off duty today” Greg corrected with a playful grin. “I’m hoping you will at least remember it cause Sherlock sure didn’t”

Q snorted a little and rolled his eyes a little at that fact. “I’m not terribly surprised…. the way Sherlock files things for importance and not is strange at best.. always has been”

“Like the solar system”

“And cooking”

The two shared a mutual laugh as they quieted down for a moment. The hacker looked up at the man and cocked his head to the side. After their first encounter he had actively done all the digging that he could on the man. It wasn’t something he normally did; dig into the background of his brothers lovers as that was more their deal, but he found he couldn’t resist. He had once been a family man but had been divorced a few years now, several months before Sherlocks ‘death’. But marriage problems always had seemed to be a problem as the wife had been unfaithful several times. He couldn’t see how she could as the man was quite the catch.

“So what do you want to know?” Q asked, turning so his forearms were braced against the railing. He looked out across the narrow river, looking towards the other bridge that was just down a ways. There were chunks of ice floating along the surface, showing just how dreadfully cold it really was.

“Is it that obvious?” Greg asked, leaning back against the railing to look at the young hacker. Q nodded, looking over and gestured for him to ask away. They may as well get this part of their meeting over with.

“Why don’t your brothers talk about you? Mycroft doesn’t even have pictures of you anywhere” Greg asked, “I mean… I can tell he’s very protective of you just by the way he looks at you… after you left the station he was livid” The grey haired man sighed. This was bothering him, it was hard for most to understand how their family worked.

“They don’t talk about me for my own safety…. I believe he got rid of all my pictures when the Moriarty business started as to keep me out of it” Q explained, “They didn’t need another pawn in that mans game and with my skill set it could have been disastrous if I had been compromised…. I wasn’t Q yet so I didn’t have the protection that I do now”

“Skill set?” Greg shifted where he stood and moved to lean against the rails like the younger man did. The move helped block some of the wind from the shorter, slighter male which was much appreciated. There was a clear look of interest on his face, his brown eyes studying him as if trying to suss out what his skills were.

“Computers…. I have yet to find a security system that I can’t get into.. satellites, the CCTV, CIA… you name it and its at my fingertips…. I can bring down entire governments without even getting out of my Pajamas Detective Inspector…. so you can understand why my brothers keep me hidden and MI6 at my heels” Q murmured, “Its why MI6 scooped me up at a young age…. I was on the Governments watch lists when I was sixteen.. they just waited till I was legal age before apprehending me” He smirked a little and itched his neck a little. At the time he wasn’t doing any real harm, just pointing out to different organizations where their security flaws were before disappearing. Although he had always figured Mycroft had a hand in his late discovery by MI6, making them wait until he was old enough before making him choose.

“Ah alright, so it wasn’t just some gadget you had on your phone….. we noticed after you left there was no record of you ever being at NSY….. Sally was right pissed about it” Greg chuckled a little. “But whole Governments? I’m surprised they don’t keep you on a tighter lease Quientin” Greg joked, though he had no idea. There was a tracker on Q at all times in case he was taken; it would have to be dug out of his ribs to be disconnected.

“You have no idea….” Q grinned a little and pushed his glasses up his nose gently. He heard the other hum softly in response to that. He looked over at the other and noticed he was being watched very carefully.

“I understand them wanting to protect you and Mycroft being upset about the MI6 thing but…. you’re a big boy and you are probably safer in a way with all of the British Government invested in you…” Greg smiled a little and patted the brunettes shoulder. “I think Mycroft is just angry about you being a higher clearance then him and being so young” He joked softly.

A soft amused chuckle was drawn from the young genius, his green hazel eyes bright. Perhaps coming out to meet his elder brothers lover wasn’t such a bad idea. He was a nice guy and perfectly suited for Mycroft in every way he never thought possible. They would balance each other out and Greg would most likely ensure his brother wouldn’t work himself into the ground. He would keep Mycroft as sane as any Holmes could be and that fact made the brown eyed man special.

“So, have any embarrassing stories to share about your brothers?” Greg suddenly asked, causing Q to arch an eyebrow at him. A wicked grin spread across his features that spoke of a thousands different things.

“A few….” Q smirked before falling into one of his favorite memories with his brothers. It was a story even Sherlock laughed at whenever it came up in conversations. It had stemmed their elder brothers love for cake but dislike of Sherlocks meddling all at once. 

They talked for what seemed like mere minutes but hours had flown by as they stood there on the bridge in the cold. The mentions of lunch were being tossed around when his work phone chimed. Frowning, the brunette fished the phone from his pocket and checked the ID on it. Why would they be calling now? They were only to contact him if there was something major going on. Giving Greg an apologetic glance, he smiled a little at the look of understanding before answering the mobile.

“Q”

“Q, please tell me you’re at your flat right now” It was James, not exactly who he was expecting. It sounded like he was on speaker phone, which meant there was the possibility of several people listening in. However the most notable thing was the fact that the agent sounded worried.

“No, I’m out currently…” Q asked, his frown deepening when he heard a curse. “You can pick up my location from my mobile…. have Darcy pull it up if necessary… whats wrong?” He demanded, looking at Greg to see him watching very carefully. There was concern in those big brown eyes and with the man knowing a little of what his work consisted of had every right to be as such.

“You’ve been compromised.” It was M speaking this time, causing the hacker to stiffen a little. This had to be a confirmed fact if M was getting himself directly involved.

“Compromised? How?” Q exclaimed, looking around his surrounding now. No one appeared to be dangerous but he was well aware things weren’t always as they seemed. “What leads you to believe that?”

“Those Hackers Sir, the ones from the Scotland yard mission” It was Darcy speaking up, his Welsh lit easy to pick up. “We allowed them into the trap you made for them as you requested and left something for you directly….”

“They were expecting it.. they seem rather fixated on you as the message would only play if we accessed from your station” M finished, sounding displeased if not a little worried as well. It was probably more so the fact their greatest asset was out with no cover and a huge target out for him. All of the secrets and securities were locked up in Q’s head, the downside of having a photographic memory in espionage.

“In spider’s web a truth discerning,  
Attach one silken thread to you  
For my returning.” Darcy recited the poem, “I looked it up and its a part of a E.B White poem sir” He supplied. There was silence on the other end of the phone as they seemed to be allowing Q to think over the message. 

Why a spider? Why did the hacker choose that creature out of any others they could have used unless….

James Moriatry isn’t a man at all, He’s a spider. A spider at the center of a web. A criminal web with a thousand threads and he knows precisely how each and every single one of them dances. 

Then it was as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over him, his eyes widening and his face paling. He faintly heard Greg ask what was going on and if he was alright. There was no way, Mycroft and Sherlock had made sure that the mad man had no knowledge of his existence. That he was hidden from the cat and mouse game the three of them had played those years ago. Most of all that man had shot himself in a way there was no surviving.

“No…. he’s dead…. there’s no way” Q breathed, looking at Greg then leaned back against the concrete railing.

“Whose dead? Q you need to tell us what it means” James demanded, sounding more worried on this then he should. Only Moneypenny knew they were seeing each other, the two of them determined not to have it advertized in the work place. It was mostly frowned upon for a Double oh and the Quartermaster to take up with one another, makes things to difficult.

“The Spider…. Its—” Q was abruptly cut off when he pitched slightly as a sudden burst of pain shot through him. It seared just above his hip as a startled strangled gasp bubbled from him. His free hand clamped onto the wound as he buckled, the voices from his mobile all jumbled together as the device slipped from his fingers. As his knees buckled, he was very glad that that Greg had moved quickly to catch him.

“Quentin! Fuck!” Greg cursed as he slowly moved to bring the young man towards covering. Blood soaked into his nice coat as he was dragged behind the cover of a trash bin and large planter box by the lamp post. Another shot seemed to ring out, just chipping off the lip of the railing, sending shards of concrete around them. The sounds of people around them crying out in fear and shock jumbled around him as the world spun. Q hissed when Greg leaned him against the trash bin, drawing back the buttons to his coat. Peeling the coat back, it showed how quickly he was bleeding out into his once soft white jumper. Greg pulled off his scarf and pressed it against the wound, drawing another hiss.

“This is Detective Inspector Lestrade….. yes I have him but he’s been hit….” Q could hear Greg talking into his work mobile. The man must have kicked it over to where they were hiding; clever. ” He’s bleeding out quickly, he’s going to need medical attention… the shot came from a South Eastern angle as we’re on a bridge…. there been one other shot but it was a warning shot… Yes he’s awake still…”

Q dazed out for a moment, his eyes flicking between utter focus and soft fuzzy edges. Pain was rippling through him as blood flowed from him like code across his computer screen. It was always a joke that if someone cut Q if he would bleed binary but it looked like that wasn’t such the case. His sweater was sticking horribly to him as he looked back at Greg, who was in full detective mode. He couldn’t quite understand what he was saying as everything was quickly becoming muddled.

Seeing his window of focus was waning as the edges of his vision were going dark, he grabbed the other mans arm. His blood coated hand gripped Greg’s coat as panicked brown hues looked at him. This was not good one bit but when was gettign shot ever a good thing. Focusing on breathing and fighting back the dark edges on his vision, he gripped onto the other man hovering around him.

“Quentin, you need to stay awake for me lad.” Greg said, one hand still holding the phone to his ear, the other holding the scarf over the profusely bleeding wound. “Help is on the way..”

“Myc is going to be furious….” Q breathed, a faint smile on his lips. ” I’ve lived twenty seven years without so much as a broken arm and my first time out with my brothers boyfriend I get shot…” He chuckled a little, earning a slight huff from the detective. “God help me what will happen if I ever meet John…”

Greg laughed despite himself, shaking his head as he kept the now bloodied scarf pressed against the wound. The sound of sirens and cars could be heard in the distance but Q was getting tired. “A little comedian you are….”

“I try….”” Q sighed as he finally let his eyes close. Feeling Greg shake him a little and shout at him, the young hacker didn’t hear much else as everything faded into darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry about the delay on this one! I ended up moving and being without internet for little over a week!  
> I beat my self imposed deadline ( I'm leaving for Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle in about a week or so) which means I have time to start the next installment! 
> 
> As per usual not brit picked and unbeta'd lol;;;

It starts with the insistent sound of beeps. A steady reliable beep that seemed to be never ending beeped in his ear. Next he notices the coarse feel of sheets; not his normal Egyptian cotton but of a cheap scratchy brand. Something of a lower grade then a hotel even; not to be enjoyed but just there for pure necessity. It’s uncomfortable but not enough to make him move as moving seemed to be more trouble than the uncomfortable sheets.

Next is the sound of a door opening, the soft click it makes when it’s allowed to swing shut. Steady confident strides as leather shoes squeak across linoleum flooring. There is a rustle of paper and the clack of firm cardboard. An amused huff from an unfamiliar source sounds and the sounds of writing start. Something simple it seems as it’s over quite quick and the sound of it being replaced is heard. 

"Oh sweet boffin are you not awake yet?" an Irish tone asks softly, suddenly sounding much to close. Q feels himself come back fully into himself, his eyes not opening yet. He's afraid that if he opens his eyes it will cause the pain he has a bay loose. If he keeps his eyes closed he's safe.

"Come now, I don't have all day..." The voice persists, sounding move level with him. There is a veil of threat to those words that makes Q's insides clench.

So slowly he opens his eyes, the world around him is all stark whites and mute greys. There is a collection of cards and flowers off in the corner by the window, where snow is pelting against it. Hospital. He shifts his right hand, feeling IV’s and other assortments in his arm twinge unpleasantly. The tube in his nose supplying him with air was suffocating and if he wasn’t so groggy he'd tear it out. 

"Ah, there you are...." The voice coos; sounding very pleased by his state. Still not wanting to move much, the young man directs his hazel green gaze towards the voice and immediately wishes he hadn't. He sees a man he had never wanted to meet; someone from a battle thought over. A battle he was never supposed to be a part of. Parting chapped lips, the young Quartermaster made to speak but his words died in the back of his dried throat. The mad man shushed him, placing a finger upon his lips, a playful grin painted over his features. 

"Don't speak... you've been out a couple days," Jim Moriarty near tutted, "Sorry.." He oozed faked sincerity. "It’s hard to find good help these days.... he wasn't supposed to hit you per say... not enough to put you out of the game... just a graze. A warning you could say" He explained in a relaxed drawl, leaning back in the chair he had sat himself in.

Q wasn’t sure how he should feel to know the man who was sitting at his bedside was a criminal mastermind. Then again he did share a bed with a trained assassin. It was funny to think of it in those terms; but James was different then this man, James was no monster. 

"If it makes you feel any better he's been punished," Moriarty continued to speak casually as if talking to a colleague. "I've learned my lesson on hiring outside of my normal fraction."

The young hacker wasn’t sure what he should do, as he was in no shape to cry out for help or would he be quick enough to hit the call button. He remembered why he was here despite having just woken up. The dull pain in his side more than enough of proof to show he wasn’t dreaming. One of Moriarty’s men had shot him and Lestrade had kept him stable till help arrived. However now it dawned on him that yes Moriarty was in his room alone. So where was his protection? Where was James or Mycroft or hell even Sherlock? 

His thoughts must have translated onto his face because Moriarty smiled wider and sat forward again. His hands pressed together in front of his face; his fingertips just touching his lips. 

"Cause enough of a distraction and even your body guards will leave you... even just for a moment or two" He grinned, “I have people placed everywhere... you should know this if you're going to play the game right."

Looking at his watch, the mad man sighed and rolled his eyes a little before standing from his chair. He seemed a little intrigued as he leaned over the young man for a moment as if drinking him in. A hand ghosted over his cheek, causing Q to jerk away, pulling a pained hiss from him as his wound protested. His eyes squinted shut as his IV free hand fluttered towards his mound of bandages. 

"Now now, no need to get yourself all worked up" Moriarty tutted, eyeing the heart monitor as it spiked from the sudden shot of pain. "You need to get back into fighting form so we can really begin.... oh this game will be much better than before now that I have all the pawns" He grinned and made for the door. “The Virgin, the Iceman and the little Boffin all together at last!" He chimed, pulling open the door. "I'll be seeing you soon Quentin.... real soon" He smirked before heading out the door. His hand remained on the door frame as he ducked his head back in quickly. "Oh, and do be a dear and tell Sherlock I say hello."

With that Q was alone once more with just the steady beep of his heart monitor, the sound of the snow pelting against the glass and the course feel of hospital sheets. The overwhelming feeling of unease coupled with the knowledge of how these games worked; things were about to get even worse.

++++

His drugs must have kicked in because the next time Q opened his eyes James was sitting in the place of Moriarty. This was a better alternative to what he had first woken up too and would take it any time. However he could also hear the muffled sounds of an argument just outside of the door. The sense of chaos was thick in the air no matter how calm James seemed sitting next to him. The man was reading a magazine, propped up on the arm of his chair to leave one hand free to hold Q’s.

Not trusting his own voice yet, he squeezed the large calloused hand as best as he could. This caused James to take in a sudden breath and turned his sharp gaze towards him. A relieved look touched his eyes as he abandoned the magazine and shifted more to the edge of his chair.

“Hey there, did you forget that I’m the one whose supposed to get shot at?” James quipped, a fond but sad smile etched over his features. The worry over the whole situation was evident down to the dark circles around his eyes to the way his mouth was set.

“I must have missed that memo” Q croaked, wincing at the sound of his own voice. It was raw and dry from disuse; frailer sounding then it ever had been before. This prompted the agent to shift back and take up a jug of water and pour into a plastic cup. Taking up a lid and straw, it was offered to him swiftly and the young genius drank gratefully. As he drank, James ran a hand through the mess of dark curls as if he was trying to reassure himself that Q was still there.

“How long have I been out for?” Q asked, voice still frail but not as raw. The water was set aside and the blond sighed as he turned to look back at him.

“It’s been three days… nothing vital was hit but you bled out quicker than expected” James murmured, the hand not in his hair holding his hand. “They had you in surgery but they couldn’t stop the bleeding... We almost lost you Quentin” James sounded very raw as he said that last sentence. “You’ve had a couple transfusions since then but you’ve been out for a bit”

“That bad, hmm?” Q murmured, tightening his hold on the others hand. He had never expected to be shot, not often did anyone really unless you were a double oh. “I’m sorry James…” He looked up at the other with soft eyes, which closed when the agent leaned down to kiss his forehead softly. Q was aware there was nothing for him to be sorry about yet, but he never the less felt bad for making the other go through this. James had lost people he’d loved more times than one man should have to experience and this was a very unfair fact. 

James just shook his head at him and kissed him gently before the sounds of the argument outside the door got louder. This caused Q to arch an eyebrow slightly, looking up at James with questions written all over his face. James rolled his eyes a little, eyeing the door with annoyance before explaining it to the brunette. 

“Your brothers were having a row so I kicked them out into the hallway so they wouldn’t disturb you” James sighed, “They won’t admit it but they’ve been quite worked up over you being shot… Something about who between them is more to blame for you being hurt and so on” The blond frowned a little, “I told them it was neither their faults and they started in on me… so I kicked them out”

“They’re probably sulking by now..” Q murmured, rubbing his eyes tiredly. It was hard on him without his glasses on but he figured those had been lost in the mass panic of it all. He could see but he had to strain to cope with the blurry edges of everything. Though he doubted if he’d feel the resulting head ache with the sheer amount of morphine they had him on. “You may as well let them in, the longer you leave them the more insufferable they’ll become” He warned softly. Watching the agent nod, he braced himself as the door was opened and the blond exchanged a few short words with the other two Holmes. 

The two walked in, their eyes watching and taking him in as James closed the door behind them. He could see the worry etched onto each of their faces even though they were doing their hardest to hide it. Q found he could always read his brothers, though he wouldn’t have survived childhood if he hadn’t. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living dear brother” Sherlock drawled, taking a quick look about the room. Most likely inspecting it for bugs or what have you, he was always worried about such things. It was a hospital; he doubted anyone would bug his hospital room. However he was playing in a game now he wasn’t well versed in, so he probably shouldn’t put it past the mad man. 

“Mmm… yes thanks...” Q hummed softly, his eyes closing for a moment as James had sat back down and carded his fingers through his mess of hair. Having his hand held again by James, he waited for one of his brothers to make some sort of scathing comment on the sentimentality between them but they were oddly silent. 

“My sincerest apologies Quentin, you were never meant to get caught up in this” Mycroft spoke up, causing Q to reopen his eyes. He looked over at the two of them and frowned, seeing the dark look that was exchanged between the two of them. 

“Yes well it seems like he fully intends to bring me into this whole mess you guys have made” Q looked at his brothers, who had the grace to look at least slightly sheepish, if not openly upset over this fact. “He sniffed something out about my existence… I want to know how” Q knew there had to be a loose end somewhere that they had all over looked. Or there was someone who was feeding information to the man; keeping tabs on his brothers. 

“I will put my people on it until you are well enough to do your own searches” Mycroft replied, earning a nod from the young Quartermaster. Whoever Mycroft had they weren’t half as good as Q, so the sooner he got onto looking into it the better.

“He paid you a visit” Sherlock said suddenly, picking up the chart at the end of the younger brunettes bed. “Moriarty, he came in while we were distracted by the scene at reception” The middle Holmes frowned deepened, looking at the chart before setting it back down. “Stupid…I should have known; it was all so obvious…”

“You mean to tell me that maniac who put the hit on Q was in this room?” James stiffened, the hold on Q’s hand tightening fractionally. “A hospital full of agents, your people Mycroft since you said MI6 agents were unnecessary! That you’d handle it yourself since it was a ‘family’ matter!” the agents voice gained that steel quality it had when very displeased with something.

“I woke up and he was in here” Q interrupted with a sigh; lifting his IV’d hand and rubbed his eyes tiredly. He could just hear the irritation that was just flooding from his brothers, may it be directed at him or not. “I have no idea how he got in here, I think he was just making sure I was alive still… I had no idea where anyone was and I wasn’t completely together” He admitted as he had passed right back out after the encounter. 

“All the while you let him slip away again” Mycroft murmured to himself, sounding so very put off by that fact. This made Q’s blood boil as he was well aware what his older brother meant. It was made to sound like an offhand comment but Q had grown up with the man and could tell his brother was unimpressed by this turn of events.

“What was I supposed to do Mycroft? Interrogate him? Or better yet offer him some tea?” Q seethed, the steady beeps picking up slightly. “Oh wait you lot already DID that! And look how well that panned out!” the young brunette shifted suddenly to make a further point but paused and hissed as pain rifled through him. James quickly came to his aid, pressing a soothing hand against his chest; as well as to keep him still. “A-ah, that’s vexing…” He breathed, his heart monitor spiking to show the pain that the movement had caused. It stole his breath away, his eyes pressing closed as he struggled to get air to his lungs through the fog of pain. 

Q could faintly hear James roar for Mycroft to get out of the room and the stuffy protesting of the older man. He felt James broad hand leave his chest and let go of his hand to have them replaced with cooler ones. These ones were coarse but in a different sense then the agents. These were more acid burns then callouses, leaner and methodical fingers verses bold and firm ones. 

“Quentin, I need you to recite the Fibonacci sequence for me” A deep baritone sounded, the smooth well rounded tones trying to relax the distressed Quartermaster. “Come now, I know you can… the bullet hit your side not your brain” 

Soon Q started to recite the sequence through gritted teeth before the spikes in the heart monitor lessened to a more relaxed beet. The gasping turned into softer smoother patterns till the younger Holmes was calmed down. Sighing tiredly, Q looked up at his brother who was now currently using his free hand to brush a stray curl away from his sweaty brow. The look in his clear eyes was one the younger hadn’t seen in years and it made his heart lurch. For a man divorced from his feelings he sure as hell looked distressed at the moment. 

“Bond, you may want to fetch the nurse… Quentin may have pulled a stitch” Sherlock called to the agent, whom was out of Q’s line of sight. The hand moved from his hair to pull up the sheets to inspect the bandages before looking over his shoulder. Nodding, the detective turned his calculative eyes back onto his younger brother. 

“Will you be alright then?” James asked, most likely lingering in the door way. Knowing the blond he was probably reluctant in leaving his Quartermaster undefended now knowing how easy it was for Moriarty to slip past them all. 

“He’s my baby brother Mr. Bond, I’m quite sure I can keep an eye on him for the amount of time it will take you to find a suitable nurse” Sherlock sniffed, keeping his attentions on his sibling. A huff was the only answer that was given before the door was closed softly behind the agent. 

Once alone silence seems to hang in the room between them, the soft beeps of the heart monitor the only indication that there was indeed life in the room. Q breathed harshly through his nose as he lifted his IV covered hand and lifted the sheets himself to look at the bandages. Seeing them to still be pristine and white, he looked at his brother and arched an eyebrow at him. 

“I wanted to speak to you alone…. Though there is still the possibility that you’ve torn one” Sherlock spoke up. “You need to be more mindful…”

“Kettle meet pot…..” Q grumbled, earning a huff and eye roll from his older brother. He was surprised that his brother still hadn’t let go of his hand, keeping it trapped in his firm hold. It made him think back to when they were kids and he would get sick often. Sherlock would sit with him and explain what experiments’ he was conducting at the moment or would read from a book he’d taken from their fathers study. It was something the detective hadn’t done in ages since well, one they were much older and Sherlock had his stint with drugs and rehab. 

“What did Moriarty say when he came into your room? Did he touch anything?” Sherlock asked, for once not being pushy like he was with others. After Mycroft’s stunt perhaps his brother ways trying to take a gentler approach, which was quite the role reversal. 

“He spoke about how me being hospital bound wasn’t his intention… You’ll probably find the shooters body in the Thames soon” Q murmured softly, growing a little tired again after everything. “He fully intends on bringing me into this game you three are playing….”

Watching his brother for a moment, he let him run through some of that information; though very little of it, and sighed. Q knew he wasn’t being much help but the whole run in was a little foggy at best. He figured once he was a little better he’d fully remember the whole encounter and the finer bits to it as well. 

Soon the door was opened and a nurse came in followed by James. Mycroft was nowhere to be seen and Q was grateful for that. His elder brother probably knew he wasn’t wanted in the hospital room so was probably off doing something else to assist in the situation. He always did better at an arm’s length.

Sherlock backed away and allowed the nurse room to check up on the young brunette. He answered her questions as best as he could and listened to what she told him. By the sounds of it they would be keeping him in the hospital for a while and there would be no determined time when he’d be able to return to work. Q could easily work from home but some of his other projects and duties needed him in branch. They most likely already had someone in place to pick up those duties till he was well enough to return. All in all this was a major setback for Q branch. 

“So Mr. Holmes, once you’re able to be released, is there someone you can stay with? We suggest you have someone there to assist you as there are going to be many things you cannot do on your own” The nurse said softly, a sweet but concerned smile on her face. 

“He will be staying with me” Sherlock spoke up before either Q or James could speak. Q looked at his brother in complete surprise; this was definitely not something Sherlock would normally offer. 

“Sherlock…. I don’t think that’s necessary… James and I can manage back at my flat..” Q frowned, looking at James then at his brother. Seeing the look he got from the detective, he blinked a little at how determined he seemed.

“Nonsense! James will need to go back to work which will leave you alone most of the time. Besides, John is a Doctor and will be better suited in changing your bandages and monitoring your healing process” His brother just grinned, the way he does when he knows he’ll win. When he’s partly acting a part for a stranger so he can get what he wants without seeming forceful.

“Can we discuss this at a later time?” Q asked softly, hoping that once thinking it over he could have a better reasons to say no. Not that he didn’t think his brothers idea had a merit of sincerity and worry over his younger sibling, he also knew it was a big part of this Moriarty game. This game wasn’t one he wanted to play despite the mad mans determination to drag him into it. The worry was that if Q did indeed play the game like Moriarty wanted it wouldn’t be the way he’d want it and there would be consequences. The ill feeling he got from all of it made him think back to the time with Silva and it wasn’t something he wanted to revisit. 

Sherlock squared him with a look that dared him to deny him this offer and Q returned the same defiant look he did as a child. They were siblings down to the very core no matter what anyone would say otherwise. Q looked to James, who seemed a little lost in the whole subject but didn’t seem too amused with the idea. There were certain safety features in Q’s apartment that would keep him safe. Or else they would possibly move Q to a safe house that was monitored by MI6. Q was still a head of branch, though not as high up as M per say but he was still a Branch Leader and was given certain amounts of security. 

“M won’t allow it…” James murmured, nodding to the nurse, who shuffled out of the room. She was quiet on her way out as she probably realized the huge situation she had created. “Q is a branch head and an asset to the crown…. It will be for M to decide where he is to go.”

“Ah, Mr. Bond you have so much to learn” Sherlock sighed as he pulled his mobile from his pocket. He rapidly sent a text and slipped the device back into its place. “I’ll have Mrs. Hudson fix up the spare room; she’ll be delighted to have company” he continued as if Bonds words didn’t have much weight behind them. He pulled Q’s glasses from his pocket and offered them to his younger sibling. 

“I’m not staying with you Sherlock” Q sighed, taking the glasses and setting them back onto their rightful place.

“Lestrade sends his regards, he came by while you were unconscious but wasn’t comfortable in staying. He said something about owing you a promised lunch of sorts…” Sherlock shrugged a little before standing, ignoring the denial from his brother. Taking up his scarf from his pocket, he bundled himself up before heading back towards the door.

“Sherlock…” Q said in warning, knowing he needed to get the point across. Sherlock was normally above asking Mycroft for help; he’d only gone to him if there was no other way to get his means to an end. This wasn’t a situation that warranted such actions; right?

“Good to have you back little brother” Sherlock drew the door back open and stepped onto the thresh hold. “Always a pleasure Mr. Bond…. Afternoon!” He near crowed, casting a annoying and all-knowing wink to his little brother and to the agent before dashing out the door. 

Silence hung in the room for a moment as the two MI6 operatives looked at the now closed door. They were finally alone again and Q allowed himself to relax back into his bed more. A dull edge was buzzing around his nerves as he felt his medications flood a little more into him. The nurse had fiddled with his bags before leaving and now he felt like he was going to sleep again. 

“I hate to say it Q, but he does have a point…..” James finally spoke up, which made the brunette to go on alert again. Hazel green eyes turned to look at the agent sharply, who sighed a little. “ M isn’t going to let me stay off mission for too long and let’s face it, knowing a real doctor whom is trusted unconditionally is looking after you is appealing”

“No” Q said firmly, his eyes fluttering closed as he allowed exhaustion to creep back into his voice. “Over my dead body James…. It’s not up for discussion….” Q murmured as he felt himself slowly drift.

An amused chuckle was heard from the agent; which made Q’s eyebrow crease a little. The last thing he heard before he fell back to sleep was James muttering something about being thankful that he was an only child.


End file.
